We sat down with Martin to talk about her favorite Chanel No. 5 star, what defines the iconic Chanel woman, and how an Oscar-winning costume designer outfits her children for Halloween.
You’ve worked on two commercials for Chanel No. 5 and have studied the history of the various campaigns. Do you have a favorite No. 5 woman?
It’s really hard to have a favorite because they all embody different aspects of a woman. But I suppose if you wanted to be diplomatic, you’d say Marilyn Monroe because she is the most unlikely Chanel No. 5 woman. The clothes that Coco Chanel designed when she was alive were for a woman who was very active in life and wasn’t victim to her circumstances. There was a certain sense of empowerment in the clothes. And what was interesting was the fragility of Marilyn Monroe as the Chanel icon and the fact that she really suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. But I think every person who has contributed to the Chanel myth helps to fill out that character.
What are some adjectives that you think defines who that character is?
I think there’s a modernity, and I mean that in a very broad, general sense. It’s about being in touch with what’s happening around you. I think there is a chicness—and that chicness is not only about clothes, it’s about a demeanor. Clothes, to some degree, are less important than the woman herself.
When you are costuming this modern woman, are there specific items you think she has in her wardrobe?
I think [she] definitely has a little black dress. She definitely owns the tweed jacket. She definitely wears pants. It’s about being active and nimble. And the most attractive thing about a person is being unpretentious and not self-conscious. It’s about attitude.
A lot of people dress up as Coco Chanel for Halloween. And a lot of people dress up as characters from movies that you and Baz have collaborated on. Are you and your kids big on Halloween? I’m assuming you don’t let them buy pre-made costumes?
I help organize it. Like any working mother, desperation sometimes overwhelms you and there’s no choice. My son is really into anime and vintage video games, particularly 'The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.' He's being Link, and this is not [a costume] you can just buy! But there is this huge culture and I saw it at Comic Con, and there’s this thing called Cosplay, and people all over the world make really good, relatively inexpensive costumes. So I wrote to someone on the Internet and I asked them to make me a Link costume, made to measure! So he’s being Link. I managed to get the shield and the sword. So he’s done.
My daughter is going to be Alice from 'Alice in Wonderland.' There’s a wonderful site called Chasing Fireflies that has pretty good costumes. Usually I’ll do an Internet search, find the thing I think is the best, and I dress it up. I embellish.
So for those of us wanting to embellish our Halloween costumes, do you have any tips?
Usually the things that are the cheapest on Halloween costumes are the edges—the trims. Putting an extra petty coat that you can buy separately underneath a princess dress will make it look better instantly. Hot-gluing paillettes on a costume is also very good. It’s a quick fix. I’ve done a lot of that with cupcake [costumes].
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